The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-10-26
CURRENT TALK ABOUT GAS
The indianapolis Company Makes Con-
cesSiOns to the Council Committee.
Accepted, but Council Takes No Action
A Meeting at the Board of Trade.

ln the present natural-gas ordinance are being
Ieard more frequently than any one else, there
q, on the other hand, a decided feeling in favor
pf an advance OF prices, if it will bring gas
Nobody proposes to turn the city over TO ore
company. nor is there opinion anywhere that
he ordinance should not carry with it many
restrictions, yet when the question is reduced
o matter Of price, the low-scale men do not
lave it all their own way. On the Streets in tn g
hotels, business places and manufactures the
IMPRESSION is often made. LET us get gas even
the private consumer has to pay the cost OF
oal for it. 1, for one. am willing to pay at that
ate in order to save the dirt and Inconvenience
that attends the use of other kinds os fuel
This class is not SO assertve in its opinion as
he other, hence it would that
public opinion is almost unanimously
against any amendments to the old ordinance.
In the so-caled meeting OF Council as a commit
tee of the whole, Monday afternoon, Council
man Smith said: There is not one of nv con-
stituents who favors change in the ordinance"
He represents the Sixth ward, and yesterday
as chance gave the opportunity on the street.
eight or ten citizens of that ward were asked
their views IN regard to the proposed amend
msnts The answer of each was that gas should
be brought to the city without further delay.
and while each would vehementy oppose ary
extortionate rate he was willing to pay a mate
rial advance on the existing rates. There is
very strong evidence that a large number Of cit
zens would like to have the question settled
without considering what certain companies and
corporations may be able to do in the future in
sssening by competitor, the price of gas. In
word, tired Of the agitation, they want SO me-
BODY. firm or company to give Indianapolis the
assurance that she will have a cheap fuel before
Their places that supplied with it obtain all
he benefits that this city could have had.
This was the situation yesterday. while the
PAS committee of councilmen and aldermen
Meeting with the officers of the Indianapolis
,ompany was trying to amend the old ordinance
IN manner that would give it some show for
Massage. 1t was expected that this company
would be rigid in some of the requirements. as
Indicated by the measure it had introduced Fri
lay night, but the committee found that the
corporation was willing to make many conces
sions. They were four hours in going through
she ordinance, and after all amendments were in
they left it practically as it stood, except as to
prices and the use of mixers If any difference
Of opinion occurred as to proposed change, it
was in every case settled by a compromise.
The committee concedlng some and the company
IS much, the amendment would be unanimously
approved.
In the second section the only change
made was in reducing the bond required from
$50, 900 TO $25. 900. The company wanted to have
it placed at 10000, but did not hold out for it,
and consented the figure that was adopted.
1t was also agreed that the company should be
required to submit to the city engineer gen.
eral plot of the streets and alleys in which its
mains were laid, without having it approved by
the councilmen and aldermen. In changing Sec
tion eight, which prescribes that the pipes.
mains and apparatus will be of the most ap-
proved design and quality, the company said 1t
would like TO have a clause excepting the pipes
and mains already laid. This referred to the
.De ~ uI,,ah
ing used By the artificial gas company. One or
two of the committeeman were in doubt as
upa suSa Fssesse told i0f them
that the pipes were capable of standing press
ure of eighteen pounds. The pressure in them
now was only three ounces and with natural gas
Ii would be about seven ounces. 1.-THE risk Is
not in using this pipe" continued Mr.. Fletcher.
ut Is tested each year. Cast-iron pipes are to
some extent. used for natural gas in Pittsburg
and Findlay." The committee and company
came to agreement by having a clause in
serted providing that before natural gas is
turned into these pipes they shall be tested by
the city engineer, and that they shall show a
strength of five times the pressure to be used.
Section 10 of the old ordinance gives the city
engineer councilmen and aldermen absolute
control over the kind of escape pipes and gauges
10 be used, well the entire direction to
where they shall be placed. This was objected
to because il was placing in the hands of the
city engineer a power that might entail heavy
and unnecessary expense to the company.
There are many different patents" said Mr..
stantly trying to have his patent approved or
substituted for the in use. If an escape
pipe fails to meet the requirements. or an acct.
dent should happen through its use, the compa-
ny would be responsible We will be at the
mercy of the cAprices of different engineers who
may come into Office during six or seven years.
1t would be something like the school text book
system, in which each succeeding superintendent
changes the books to suit his wishes prefer
ences." The committee consented to change
the section by giving the company the right to
engineer
Then came the schedule OF prices, which was
passed over for the time. until minor questions
were considered and put Of the way. In
gard to meters the ordinance changed
that both the company and the consumers have
the right to demand that measurement Who.
ever demands the meter shall pay for it. instead
of being furnished with it at the expense of the
company. But If the company requires the
meter TO be used. it must bear the cost. AS to
the use of natural gas an iluminant. the COM
pany made no objection, SO that paragraph in
the ordinance remains unatered
Some discussion occurred the proposition
of the mpany that all gas shall be furnished
by the mixer but a majority of the committee
favored the change. BY like vote the COM
pany was given power to adopt rules and regu-
lations TO be approved by Council ana the Board
of Aldermen respecting the furnishing OF gas
and the collection of gas bills one month in adj
vance. In regard to manufacturers the COM
pany consented TO furnish gas either by special
agreement OF by meter measurement at a rate
not to exceed cents per thousand cubic
feet. 1t was also agreed that the same ratio
shall be charged large small consumers and
that preference shall be given any
sumner under like conditions and circumstances
1t decided that the pressure to be main
tanned shall not be less than four ounces to the
square inch.
The old ordinance gives the right for owners
and occupants of real estate to petition Council
and the Board of Aldermen to order any
pany to extend its mains in a proposed line
without limiting the length to be laid in any
year The committee was told that section
would enable a wealthy corporation to shut out
smaller ones as it would be able to do the work
while the others could not stand an unlimited
demand for extension. Every body agreed that
the section ought to be amended it favored
monopolies, so the change provides that the
Council and Board of Aldermen cannot order the
laying Of over five miles of mains by any
company in each year after the first, in addition
10 the mains voluntarily laid by such company.
The tax clause remains unchanged. The only
ffar accI.rred in the nricas. Both